1) Field of the invention
This invention relates to a gravity-feed flow-rack storage system for production lines which permits stock shelved to be selectively picked up.
2) Description of the prior art
Gravity-feed flow rack storage systems have been widely used by factories of various manufacturing industries. Where such system is used in automobile production lines, all stock for different models are classified and stored for electronically controlled pick-up by guidance of indicators and sensors installed in each shelf designated for different stock. The automated pickup of stock is controlled by a sophisticated electronic system in which a network of personal computers or workstations at different stages of the production line is operatively connected to the indicators and sensors.
However, those prior-art flow-rack storage systems have been known to have several disadvantages owing to the very complicated design of the computerized setups employed. All or part of the shelved autoparts in a storage rack unit have to be rearrayed as when the factory orders a switch to a new or different model. This would not only necessitate changes of application software, on-screen computer commands and sequences of actions, but also rewiring of the relays in the electronic network system. None of these modifications can be done easily without the help of expertise, forcing the production line involved to suspend operations.
Another problem is that the results of such change done by computer specialists have tended to be alien to the workers who are to actually operate the system. The pickup of stock from storage racks is essentially a series of simple actions, and should therefore be systematized in such a manner which will be easily followed by even untrained workers. Moreover, basic modifications that the storage system has to make to meet a different car model involves mere readjustment of indicator lamps to properly operate for the rearranged racks for all stock employed in the new model.
There has long been demand for developing a simplified gravity-feed flow-rack storage system which permits ordinary factory workers to effect the necessary changes in an easy manner to accommodate a shift to different models of products which require different groups of parts to be picked up from the storage rack unit.